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UK Government publishes new position paper on
Northern Ireland and Ireland
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Belfast ‘Good Friday’ Agreement will be at the heart
of negotiations on Ireland
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Paper proposes no physical infrastructure at the
border
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Common Travel Area between UK and Ireland will
continue after exit
The Government has today published a comprehensive paper
which outlines the UK’s position on addressing the unique
circumstances of Northern Ireland and the land border with
Ireland.
The position paper — which has been published ahead of the
August negotiating round — states that the Government will
protect the Common Travel Area (CTA) and associated rights for UK
and Irish citizens, and put upholding the Belfast (‘Good Friday’)
Agreement at the heart of its Exit negotiations.
The paper also puts forward proposals on avoiding a hard
border on the movement of goods — making clear the UK’s position
that there should be no physical infrastructure at the border
— and plans to preserve the wide range of institutional
cooperation between Northern Ireland, Ireland and Great Britain
including for the energy market.
Secretary of State for Exiting the EU said:
“The UK and Ireland have been clear all along
that we need to prioritise protecting the Belfast Agreement in
these negotiations, and ensure the land border is as seamless as
possible for people and businesses.
“The proposals we outline in this paper do exactly that,
and we’re looking forward to seeing the EU’s position paper on
the Northern Ireland border.
“In committing to keep the Common Travel Area, which has
existed for nearly a century, we're making sure UK and Irish
citizens will continue to be able to travel, live, work and study
across both countries.”
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland said:
”This paper shows the Government’s commitment to protecting
and advancing the unique interests of Northern Ireland as we
leave the EU. We are fully committed to the Belfast Agreement
,and the principles, rights and institutions it
established.
“The
paper provides flexible and imaginative ideas and demonstrates
our desire to find a practical solution that recognises the
unique economic, social and cultural context of the land border
with Ireland, without creating any new obstacles to trade within
the UK. I believe it is possible to find a solution that
works for the UK, for Ireland and for the EU - and, specifically,
for Northern Ireland - and am determined to work to achieve
that.
“It is
clear that there are many areas where the UK, Ireland and the
rest of the EU have shared objectives. We have a lot to build on
but need to work together intensively over the coming
months”
The paper will say:
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Support for the Belfast Agreement should be written
into the Withdrawal Agreement to reflect the absolute
commitment of the UK Government, Irish Government, and the
European Union, to the peace process.
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The Withdrawal Agreement should recognise that the
people of Northern Ireland will continue to have — as set out
in the Belfast Agreement — a birthright to both Irish and
British citizenship. Any people in Northern Ireland who are
Irish citizens will continue to benefit from the EU
citizenship rights that flow from that.
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The Withdrawal Agreement should also recognise the
ongoing status of the CTA and associated rights, a position
that is entirely consistent with the EU’s negotiating
directives. This will mean there are no passport
controls for UK and Irish citizens travelling within the CTA
and no question of new immigration checks operating between
Northern Ireland and Ireland.
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PEACE funding for reconciliation projects in border
areas should be continued. We want to explore a potential
future programme post-2020 with the Northern Ireland
Executive and Irish Government.
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The UK and the EU should agree a common understanding
of the principles of North-South and East-West cooperation in
the initial phases of the dialogue, including key principles
to test future models for border arrangements and
energy. This includes no physical border infrastructure
and maintaining the Single Electricity Market.
The policy document is the fourth formal position paper to
be shared with the EU on matters related to the UK’s withdrawal
from the EU.
It will inform the ongoing dialogue between the UK and EU
negotiating teams on the the unique circumstances of
Northern Ireland and Ireland in light of the UK’s withdrawal
from, and new partnership with, the EU, as well as building on
the proposals in the UK’s customs paper published on
Tuesday.
(ends)
Notes to editors
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The ‘Northern Ireland and Ireland: Position paper’ will
be published on GOV.uk at 12noon on Wednesday 16
August.
